xv, 410 pages : 24 cm

"Alex Haley, author of the phenomenal best-seller Roots, reconstructed his family's past with the aid of a griot, an African oral historian/musician/diplomat/advisor (among many other roles). The well-illustrated Griots and Griottes is the first comprehensive portrait of the world of this profession, starting with its discovery by the outside world in 1352 by a North African traveler up to the present. Based on over 30 years of research and travel in Africa, Griots and Griottes tells the story of these remarkable wordsmiths and performers."--Publisher's website

Includes bibliographical references (pages 367-391) and index

A Note on Orthography and Measurement of Distance -- Introduction: Ibn Battuta, Alex Haley, and the Diffusion of Knowledge about Griots -- A Job Description for Griots -- The Origin of Griots -- The Verbal Art of Griots -- Music across the Griot World -- The Making of a Griot -- Would You Want Your Daughter to Marry One? -- Griottes: Unrecognized Female Voices -- From the Courtyards of the Nobility to a Global Audience -- The Value of Words -- New Millennium Griots -- Griots Working in the United States -- Films and Videos Featuring Griots -- Selected English Translations of Epics by Griots -- Audio Recordings by Griots -- African Music Books That Include Sections on Griots -- Ethno-Specific Terms for Griots -- Theories for the Origin of the Word Griot

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